During my semester abroad in Paris I developed a great appreciation for Côtes du Rhône wine - mostly because it was dependably good and even more importantly, cheap! At any marché in Paris you could spend under 5 euros for a decent Côtes du Rhône. I still rely on it now for having people over or in this case for a mix of cooking and drinking. I made my red wine barbecue sauce this weekend and grabbed this pretty affordable ($11.49) bottle. After the sauce, I had about half left and poured myself a glass - it was great! Really smooth, no dry-mouth aftertaste. I poured a glass for my friend who exclaimed that it was, "lovely." I think that's a perfect description. It isn't too full bodied, but it's easy to drink and has a very nice taste. Highly recommend it for a dinner party where you don't want to spend too much! Pull off the price tag and no one will know you didn't. Plus I love the chickens on the label!
